Chapter 40
Only after the meal ended did Liriana begin to properly understand the situation.
Tomorrow, April would leave for the Magic Tower.
She suddenly remembered that Princess Angelina, whom they were to serve from now on, had arrived today.
The moment the door opened and Liriana saw Princess Angelina standing facing Duke Zighart, she immediately felt defeated.
She was more beautiful, kind, and lovely than she had imagined.
She was truly worthy of the title “Angel of the Empire.”
Becoming the chief maid serving such a person was truly an honor.
Now that Princess Angelina had arrived, preparations for her debutante ball had to begin in earnest.
Could she, as the chief maid, afford to be absent on that first day?
Seeing Liriana suddenly wear a serious, troubled expression, Helene cautiously asked,
“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
“It’s not that… It’s just that Princess Angelina arrived two days earlier than expected.”
Helene’s heart raced.
Finally, Princess Angelina had arrived.
The story of The Completed Plan flashed through her mind like a slideshow.
The beautiful and lovely female lead, whom all the male leads helplessly fell for—
Duke Zighart, Crown Prince Luhart, and even Blane, the godfather of the three AI-like sisters who might never feel love.
To see that happen right before her eyes was both exciting and terrifying, a confusing mix of emotions.
“Then, shouldn’t you start your official duties as chief maid from tomorrow?”
Helene’s pointed remark made Liriana immediately regret informing her about Princess Angelina’s arrival.
Tomorrow, her youngest sister April was leaving for the Magic Tower, and nothing else—chief maid duties or anything—mattered.
“It’s, it’s fine! I can just take sick leave…”
Helene knew Liriana was the worst liar she knew.
She wasn’t the type to deceive others with lies.
If her lie were discovered, her position as chief maid would be in jeopardy.
There were many vying for the position.
Moreover, Princess Angelina, the female lead of The Completed Plan, possessed a mysterious power like gravity, naturally causing anyone who envied or slandered her to fall away.
Helene, who was once beheaded for speaking out of turn, was one such example.
Liriana, who secretly adored Duke Zighart, was no exception—daring to covet the princess’s man, she could have become a lying chief maid.
No matter how she thought about it, not appearing on the very first day the princess arrived would be seen as an act of rebellion.
“What are you saying? Liriana, you are the chief maid and responsible. What if you get caught?”
Liriana was speechless at Helene’s words.
As a fallen countess’s daughter, the role of chief maid to a princess who might become the future crown princess or duchess was far beyond her.
To serve the princess well, the chief maid had to know as much as, or perhaps more than, the princess herself.
Politics, society, economics—she had to memorize every figure in the capital’s social circles.
Thanks to books gifted by Duke Zighart and his assistants’ help, Liriana was fully prepared.
She enjoyed her work as chief maid.
Before, she had been afraid of girls her age and would shrink away just meeting them, but once she became chief maid, young noblewomen her age started treating her kindly.
Leaving such a beloved job behind felt unbearably heavy on her heart.
Liriana was stubborn, especially when it came to her younger siblings.
The only way to convince her was through her siblings.
“Liri, shouldn’t you show responsibility as an older sister to your younger siblings?”
“Yeah! I don’t want to see you keep sacrificing yourself like that. It’s a burden. Unlike you, I’ll do whatever I want!”
Sharp-witted April chimed in to support Helene.
Though April was somewhat disappointed Liriana wouldn’t see her off to the Magic Tower, she didn’t want her sister to give up anything for her anymore.
April had heard from Jaina that Liriana seemed to like Duke Zighart.
She no longer wanted to interfere with her sister’s work or love.
“But April’s only ten, she needs a guardian…”
“I’ll be your guardian.”
Helene’s words stunned Liriana, who stubbornly had no intention of yielding.
Since their mother’s death, Liriana had been crushed by the responsibility of taking good care of her siblings.
Though it hadn’t been long, Helene had quietly become someone Liriana truly relied on as a stepmother.
It had been a very long time since she had trusted anyone.
“….”
April desperately kept a blank expression, pretending it didn’t bother her.
‘Helene isn’t really a guardian!’ she screamed inside, tearing at her hair.
But if she said no here, only Liriana would feel uncomfortable.
For now, going with Helene seemed to reassure Liriana.
April nodded.
“I’ll see you off to the Magic Tower tomorrow. Liriana, don’t be a shameful sister to your siblings and do your best in your duties as chief maid.”
April caught the trembling of Liriana’s lips.
So she started saying things she didn’t really mean.
“I’m going to become a magician, but it’s hard to see you crying beside me! Please don’t ruin my good mood!”
A hot tear slipped down Liriana’s cheek.
Having watched April since she was a baby, Liriana knew better than April what kind of face she made when lying.
She worried about her crybaby sister…
When did she become so mature?
Liriana hurriedly wiped her tears.
April becoming a magician was something to celebrate and be happy about.
Her ten-year-old sister was doing her best to hold back tears, so as an older sister, she couldn’t cry.
She realized the best farewell gift she could give was a send-off that would lighten April’s steps.
“Then… stepmother, please take good care of April.”
With tears brimming in her eyes, Liriana smiled brightly.
At the Duke of Ikelang’s Mansion
Jaina lay on a luxurious bed for the first time in a while, but she couldn’t sleep.
Memories of last night haunted her.
She tried to deny it was a dream, but the conversation with Luhart had been too vivid for that.
Luhart was cursed and could not wield a sword.
He shared this secret with Jaina.
He even made the unreasonable request for her to become his sword.
Jaina suddenly felt like crying.
But there was no time to worry.
By noon, she had to leave to fight the giant monster Phemos.
Thinking that staying here would only make her anxious, Jaina decided to go out for a change of pace.
She kicked off the soft, high-quality sheets without hesitation and got out of bed.
At the Ikelang Duke mansion, soldiers were given luxurious bedrooms.
The room even had a private bathroom.
The bathtub was filled with warm water.
After a clean bath, Jaina donned Ikelang’s traditional colorful floral robe and stepped outside her room.
“Wow…”
Jaina exclaimed as soon as she stepped out.
In the corridor beyond the rooms, the central hall was lined with numerous works of art.
People in the capital Lepia often looked down on Ikelang as a rural backwater.
They never expected to find such sophisticated artworks in Ikelang, known as one of the empire’s main granaries, with nothing but farmland and fields.
The collection rivaled the capital’s museums.
As Jaina admired each artwork, she felt a familiar déjà vu from some sculptures.
She was sure she had seen them somewhere.
Then she remembered the paintings, too.
And soon recalled they were artworks from Luhart’s room.
Luhart had sent his collection to Ikelang.
Just as Jaina guessed correctly, the man himself appeared.
Luhart, too, had gone out for a morning walk, wearing an Ikelang-style robe.
